Portable air compressors



Mafch 11,1958 v. A. FIELD 2,326,354

PORTABLE AIR COMPRESSORS Filed May 13, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

March 11', 19.58 V. FIELD 2,826,354

PORTABLE AIR COMPRESSORS Filed May 13, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 3 .25" P/ I z Q /0 7 k I INVENTOR. Za zmA J M United States Patent PORTABLE AIR coMPREssoRs Vivian A. Field, Fergus Fans, Minn.

Application May 13, 1957, Serial No. 658,788

4 Claims. 01. 230-53 My invention relates to air compressors and more particularly to improvements in air compressors of the portable type.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of an air compressor comprising a wheeled frame, a compressor and motor therefor carried by the frame, a tank for compressed air, releasable conduit means between said compressor and said tank, and means for releasably locking said tank to said frame whereby said tank, when in a charged condition, may be temporarily moved to places or positions to which it is not possible or convenient to transport said wheeled frame and parts carried thereby.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class immediately above described in which said frame is provided with an upright section having novel upwardly opening clip-acting fingers and in which said tnak is provided with cooperating hook elements for releasable engagement with said fingers.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class immediately above described in which said hook elements are in the nature of feet for supporting said tank on the ground when the same is detached from said frame.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class generally above described which is relatively inexpensive to produce, which is rugged and durable in construction, and which is highly efiicient in its operation.

The above and still further objects of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claims, and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of my novel structure;

Fig. 2 is a View in top plan of the structure of Fig. 1 on a somewhat reduced scale, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in section and partly in rear elevation as seen substantially from the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section and partly in side elevation as seen substantially from the line 44 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of the tank showing same disconnected from the frame and resting upon the ground.

Referring with greater particularly to the drawings, the numeral'l indicates, in its entirety, a frame, preferably and as shown being L-shaped to provide a platform 2 and an upright section 3. The platform 2, adjacent its forward end, is provided with a pair of wheels 4. Suitably mounted on the frame 1 rearwardly with respect to the upright section 3 is a conventional compressor 5 and motor 6, preferably electrical. The belt running over sheaves 8 and 7 connected respectively to the motor 6 and compressor 5, is identified by the numeral 9. Y

ice

A flexible conduit 10 has oneend connected to the compressor 5 and has its opposite end provided with" a coupler element 11 which is of any desired form, but which has cooperative detachable engagement with a coupler element 12 rigidly carried by a compressor tank 13. As shown in Fig. 5, the tank 13 is provided with longitudinally spaced feet 14 which, as shown particularly in Fig. 2, are hook-acting, for a purpose which will hereinafter be explained in greater detaail.

As shown particularly by Figs. 2 and 3, the upright frame section 3 comprises a pair oflaterally spaced upstanding angle irons, the aligned portions of which are identified by the numeral 15 and the rearwardly projecting side-forming portions of which are identified by the numeral 16. Upper and lower pairs of clip-acting fingers 17 are mounted on the opposed inner surfaces 18 of the rearwardly projecting angle iron portions 16 through the medium of nut-equipped bolts 19 which pass through the members 16 and through the intermediate portions of said fingers 17. Coil compression springs 20 carried by the bolts 19 bias the fingers 17 toward engagement with the inner surfaces 18 of the frame portion 16. As shown, the clip-acting fingers 17 engage each one of the hookacting feet 14, thus rigidly mounting the tank 13 for transportation on the wheels 4, rearwardly of the upright frame member 3 and intermediate the handle-forming arms 21. A generallyU-shaped rearwardly projecting leg carried by the frame 1 is identified by the numeral 22.

Preferably and as shown in Fig. 4, the fingers 17 are formed from flat metal strips, the generally rectangular lower ends thereof being identified by the numeral 23. It will be noted that the bolts 19 pivotally anchor their cooperating fingers 17 so close to the adjacent portions 15 of the angle irons comprising the upright section 3, that engagement of the longitudinally spaced cornerforming abutments 24 and 25 with said portions 15 limit pivotal movements of said fingers beyond substantially the upright positions shown. It will further be noted that the upper end portions 26 of the fingers 17 are notched adjacent the portions 15 to permit reception there between and the portions 15 of the hook-acting feet 14.

My invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be completely satisfactory for the accomplishment of the above objects and while I have shown a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be understood that same is capable of modifications without departure from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a portable air compressor, a wheel mounting frame including a platform and an upright section, a compressor and a motor therefor carried by said frame forwardly of said upright section, a tank for compressed air, and means for releasably locking said tank to said upright section, said means comprising a plurality of upwardly opening clip-acting fingers on said upright section rearwardly of said motor and pump, cooperating hook elements on said tank one each engageable with one of said fingers, and releasable conduit means between said compressor and said tank.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the hook elements on said tank are in the nature of feet for supporting said tank on the ground when same is detached from said frame.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 in further combination with means mounting said fingers for limited movements toward and away from engagement with said upright section, said means comprising nut-equipped bolts extending through the longitudinally intermediate portion of said fingers and secured to said upright section, and coil compression springs carried by said bolts and yieldingly urging said fingers toward engagement with said References Cited in the file of this patent upright section.

' 4. The structure defined in claim 3 in which said up- UNITED STATES PATENTS right section includes angular flanged portions engageable 841,589 Simon Jan. 15, 1907 with adjacent portions of said clip-acting fingers to hold 5 2,482,602 Terpening Sept. 20, 1949 said fingers against rotary movements on the axes of their 2,521,313 Sproat Sept. 5, 1950 cooperating bolts. 2,772,921 Nance Dec. 4, 1956 

